UCLA program trains underrepresented college students for public health careers

UCLAThe first cohort in the UCLA Public Health Scholars Training Program. Elaine Owusu will never forget  the summer between her junior and senior years at Marquette University in Milwaukee. Owusu spent eight weeks in residence on the UCLA campus, where she and more than three dozen peers received an intensive introduction to the field of public health as part of the first cohort of the UCLA Public Health Scholars Training Program. The program combined education and hands-on training — in Owusu’s case, an internship assisting the director of quality improvement at St. John’s Well Child& Family Center, which provides free and low-cost care to nearly 100,000 low-income patients in Los Angeles.“The most enjoyable part was learning what it means to be a public health professional,” said Owusu, who plans to pursue master’s degrees in public health and business administration. “The opportunity to exchange thoughts and ideas with my amazing cohort, as well as with professionals from t he greater Los Angeles area, left me inspired and ready to change the world.”Owusu was among 40 undergraduate and recently graduated college students from across the nation who spent last summer learning about public health and the potential for careers within the field. The eight-week program — including two days a week of seminars, workshops, mentorship and professional development, along with three days a week working as interns at community-based public health organization...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news